Classic Artichokes

Ingredients

• 2 Organic lemons
• 1500 g large artichokes (4 large artichokes)
• Salt
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 1 Lime
• 200 g Sour Cream
• 2 tbsp low‑fat salad cream
• Pepper
• 3 stems basil

Instructions

1. 1.

   Rinse the lemon hot, dry and slice into wedges, halving the second half.

2. 2.

   Make a shallow cut at the top of each artichoke stem near the flower head, then snap off and pull out as many threads from the base as possible.

3. 3.

   Wash the artichokes, drain, and with a large sharp knife trim the upper third of the flower heads straight down. Trim any remaining leaf tips with scissors if needed.

4. 4.

   Remove the tough outer leaves. Rub the cut surfaces of the flower heads with the halved lemon.

5. 5.

   Turn the artichokes over, place one lemon slice on each base and tie securely with kitchen twine.

6. 6.

   Cook the artichokes in a wide pot of boiling salted water for 30–40 minutes covered over medium heat.

7. 7.

   Meanwhile peel and finely chop the garlic, sprinkle with a little salt on a cutting board. Let the garlic and salt sit briefly, then grate into a fine paste with a small knife.

8. 8.

   Halve the lime and squeeze out the juice. Mix the sour cream and garlic with the salad cream. Season this South‑French aioli with salt, pepper and lime juice to taste.

9. 9.

   Rinse the basil, shake dry and pluck. Cut the leaves into very thin strips and stir into the aioli.

10. 10.

    Test doneness by pulling off 2–3 outer artichoke leaves. If they come off easily and a knife tip can lightly pierce the base, the artichokes are cooked.

11. 11.

    Lift the artichokes from the water, drain well. Remove the twine and lemon slices and let the flower heads cool slightly if desired. Arrange the artichokes with the aioli on a plate.